Quantum computing comes out of the closet

IBM, Rigetti, and now D-Wave are letting the public run simple apps on cloud-based quantum computers, offering a peek at how useful they could someday be.

Quantum computing comes out of the closet
[Photo: courtesy of D-Wave]

You might need an advanced degree to fully grok the spooky science of quantum physics. With the state of subatomic particles, such as the polarization of a photon, in constant flux, that particle is essentially in multiple states at the same time. Building a computer around that phenomenon means that each data bit, instead of being a zero or a one at any given moment, can be both a zero and a one.

Funky physics aside, the sales pitch for the technology is straightforward: It will (someday) beat even the most powerful traditional computers at finding the optimal arrangement of many interdependent components. For instance: picking the optimal routes for thousands of delivery vehicles, all sharing the same road network. Another: predicting the way many atoms of different elements, and all their buzzing electrons, will interact when designing complex molecules for new drugs.

Until recently, quantum computing has largely happened in the scientific underground–with large systems housed inside refrigerated cabinets at university and government labs, or in the skunkworks at cash-rich companies like Google. (Systems cost several million dollars and require specialized care and feeding.) But in 2016, IBM launched the Q Experience, providing online access to a quantum system so people without multimillion-dollar R&D budgets can kick the tires. This year, China’s Alibaba, California’s Rigetti, and now Canada’s D-Wave have followed suit.

Related: Quantum computing is almost ready for business, startup Rigetti says

This opening of access could lead to a crowd-sourced revolution in advancing the gnarly new algorithms required to integrate quantum with traditional computing–and fulfill the sales pitch.

“Those are the optimistic possibilities,” says Chirag Dekate, a Gartner analyst covering AI and emerging technologies. “But if you speak with the realists in the space, what they will tell you is…it’ll allow end users to explore and figure out that quantum computing is just not ready for primetime yet.”

Perhaps nowhere is the promise-vs.-reality debate more heated than with D-Wave–established back in 1999 and the latest to offer a cloud-based system, which opened to the public today. Mentioning D-Wave often provokes a smirk or grimace among quantum computing experts, who say the company may be overselling its outlier approach to the technology, known as quantum annealing.

“D-Wave claims that they’re realizing production value from their quantum computer,” says Brian Hopkins, a Forrester Research analyst covering quantum computing. “I haven’t been able to verify that claim by talking to anybody who’s willing to tell me they’re doing anything other than running science experiments.” He goes on to say, however, that anyone who did get a competitive advantage using a quantum computer probably wouldn’t want competitors to know.

“Every time somebody says, well, D-Wave this, D-wave that, my response was, go try it. You go see for yourself,” says Alan Baratz, EVP of R&D and chief product officer at D-Wave. And now anyone actually can.

Leap provides one minute of free quantum computing time–enough for hundreds or even thousands of jobs. [Image: courtesy of D-Wave]
The new online service, called D-Wave Leap, runs on a freemium model. Anyone–regardless of expertise level–gets free access to educational materials, programming tools, a community of users, and one minute of realtime quantum computer operation. “A minute allows you to submit between 400 and 4,000 jobs,” says Baratz. Developers can get an additional free minute per month, if they make all their work open-source; or they can buy private time, starting at $2,000 per hour.

IBM’s Q Experience is also free. Rigetti’s free quantum cloud is limited to about 500 invited participants. I was unable to find Alibaba’s online system, announced back in March, and the company hasn’t responded to my inquiry.

What happens when Romeo meets Juliet

At the very least, D-Wave Leap is a fun way to get a feel for quantum computing, running introductory lessons on a real machine within the first few minutes. It currently features two example problems that harness quantum computing’s ability to consider multiple variations of a situation at the same time. That comes from the ability for each bit to be considered to have a value of both zero and one, plus the ability to link the fate of bits together through “spooky” phenomena like entanglement.

The first example is factoring: finding all the integers (i.e. not decimal numbers) that another integer can be divided by. First D-Wave shows how a classical computer would solve the problem, trying each option in sequence. For the number 49, can you divide it by 2? No. Can you divide it by 3? No. And on and on, until it tries 7.

It then reconfigures the problem into a latticework of entangled qubits. You press the “RUN” button, and a distant quantum computer spits out the answer “7×7” after a 16-millisecond run–leaving enough computer time for solving up to 3,998 other problems.

Try as it might, even a quantum computer can’t fix the strained relationships Romeo and Juliet caused. [Image: courtesy of D-Wave]
The entertaining second example, considers 16 love and hate relationships between the Montague and Capulet clans of Verona, and how the stable state of enmity is thrown into deadly chaos when Romeo meets Juliet. Trying every possible rejiggering of relationships, the quantum computer concludes, in 16 milliseconds, that there is no way to achieve a stable realignment of the families.

These sample tasks, known as optimization problems, are easy enough for a traditional computer to solve without breaking a sweat. But as the numbers get bigger, the workload on a traditional computer quickly spirals out of control. On that all computing experts and mathematicians agree.

The battle of the bits

One critique of D-Wave’s technology is that it’s only useful for these optimization problems. Its qubits are tied together in a way that, driven by physics, naturally cascades to an alignment providing the optimal arrangement (or arrangements) to solve the problem. But D-Wave’s tech doesn’t provide the quantum versions of the “logic gates” on which today’s computers are based. Those systems, which most other companies are pursuing, could solve a wider range of potential problems. “DWave’s qubits and qubits of gate-modeled or universal quantum computers are similar only in name,” says Hopkins. “You simply cannot compare them in any meaningful way.”

D-Wave has a pretty compelling counter-argument. “Today you can’t actually use a gate model system for anything of value,” says Baratz. Or as Hopkins describes it: “Universal quantum computers have qubits that are highly susceptible to errors and hence the complexity of problems they can solve is currently very limited.”

[Photo: courtesy of D-Wave]
Most of these computers have just a handful of qubits. Google has the biggest of these systems that’s been announced, with 72 qubits. D-wave’s current chip has 2,048 qubits–albeit of a radically different type. (Industry analyst Doug Finke maintains a scorecard of quantum computers, tracking both the quantity and quality of qubits.)

What remains controversial, though, is D-Wave’s current ability to economically beat a standard computer. “I have run into academic researchers from reputed universities in New England that claim that quantum annealing systems are fairly limited, and you can actually achieve exactly [what they do] using high performance classical systems,” says Chirag Dekate.

D-Wave, of course, disagrees; and it’s now putting its mouth where its money is ($220 million in funding raised). Beyond introductory materials, including videos and other explainers, Leap gets very technical. It includes a suite of developer tools called Ocean, sample code, and a software developer kit that allow programmers to build complex operations for solving real problems. That’s similar to what Rigetti is doing, with a set of tools–following the nature theme–called Forest.

This is the natural progression of quantum computing, according to analysts. “Cloud is going to be the de facto way to access quantum computers,” says Brian Hopkins. “Very few firms are going to buy quantum computers.”

Putting a spin on quantum computing claims

Rigetti expects that, within three years, its community of developers will reach so-called “quantum advantage”–getting results faster or cheaper with a combination of quantum and classical computers than with a classical machine alone. That’s a bold claim in the industry, but D-Wave says it’s passed that milestone, which it brands “customer advantage.” “We have [clients] working on 100 applications. Many of them are achieving customer advantage already,” says D-Wave’s SVP of marketing, Jen Houston. She and Baratz point to customers like OTI Lumionics, which they say is using their technology to model new molecules for OLED lighting.

Observers remain wary. “I’m always skeptical until I actually speak with a customer firsthand,” says Dekate. “Vendors will always say some interesting things to push their technology.”

By bringing its technology into the open, D-Wave is allowing many more people to test its claims, and trade notes. “We’ve had—up until now–20, 30, 40 customers that have been doing really interesting application work,” says Baratz. (Many had been accessing the systems over the cloud since 2011.) “Now they and hundreds of thousands of developers that we’re opening the system up to will be able to communicate and interact with one another.”

Hundreds of thousands sounds quite optimistic. Quantum computing is still a rather niche field for savvy early tinkerers, says Dekate. But he agrees that opening up these computers–whatever quantum technology they use–could have a huge benefit to advancing the nascent technology. “If you have a problem set that can benefit from quantum computing, irrespective of the platform type, rethinking your approach, rethinking your problems, and thinking in a quantum mindset absolutely is going to be helpful,” he says.

About the author


Progression in Sekiro Is More Streamlined than Dark Souls or Bloodborne

FromSoftware’s Dark Souls and Bloodborne are most known for being difficult, but one could also argue their progression systems are very complex, at least compared to other action titles. According to an interview with Game Informer, while Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will still have systems and quirks that are unmistakably FromSoftware designed, overall progression will be much more streamlined.

The interview, which was between Game Informer and From Software’s communications manager Yasuhiro Kitao, goes into quite a bit of detail about how players will grow stronger as they make their way through Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While previous titles in Sekiro‘s lineage are quite stats-y, Sekiro will feature a system of skill trees, which will help players develop a personalized play style without going through the process of curating a “build,” so to speak.

Fueling this progression system is a sense of slight leniency, again only if we’re making direct comparisons to Dark Souls and Bloodborne. According to director Hidetaka Miyazaki, there will still be an unannounced penalty for dying, but losing EXP or money won’t be part of it. Players will be able to keep working towards that next skill point, even if they don’t make it to the next Sculptor Idol.

Finally, while the skill trees include both active and passive benefits, players will also be able to boost their health by searching for prayer beads, which serve a similar purpose to seeking out heart containers in the Legend of Zelda series. While this all sounds like a departure from what FromSoftware fans have grown accustomed to, Sekiro sounds more like a character-oriented experience in general, while Dark Souls and Bloodborne revolve more around the player. While these are different concepts, they both lead to a similar goal, giving players both options and challenge.

[Source: Game Informer]


Wednesday, December 30, 2015

IV Therapy: A Useful Tool in the Treatment of IBD

By: Dr. Kimberley Ramberan, ND

Why IV Therapy is a Valuable Treatment for People with IBD

  • Headache
  • Pain
  • Dry Mouth
  • Mouth Ulcers
  • Acne
  • Nausea
  • Fatigue
  • Depression

How IV Therapy Works

    Thursday, December 24, 2015

    Healthy Travelling

    By Dr. Leena Athparia, ND

    Saturday, November 21, 2015

    Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Gut-Brain Connection

    By: Dr. Kimberley Ramberan, ND

    Have you ever felt "sick to your stomach" or had a "gut wrenching" experience?  As a naturopathic doctor, I often encourage patients to explore their "gut feelings" and trust their "gut instincts" especially when  making a difficult decision.  This is one example of the "Gut-Brain Connection".

    The connection between the gut and the brain goes both ways.  A "distressed" intestine sends signals to the brain, just as a "distressed" brain sends signals to the gut.  Therefore, your digestive symptoms can both be the cause and the product of anxiety, stress and depression. When emotions are causing your gastro-intestinal (GI) symptoms there is often a delay between physical findings, such as a colonoscopy or abnormalities found in a physical exam.  This delay, in turn, can delay the treatment for a developing disease.

    On a personal level, I recall that when I was young whenever I got really upset or nervous my stomach would start to hurt and I would end up having to go to the bathroom more frequently.  As I got older I noticed these symptoms occurred more quickly whenever I was frustrated or overwhelmed. What I also realize now was that my symptoms became more easily triggered by small stressors. When my doctor would ask me if I felt stressed I would often answer "I don't feel stressed" because I had yet to make the link between my digestive symptoms and what was going on in my life.  As time went by my physical tolerance for stress decreased.  The build up of stress culminated in even more significant symptoms such as blood appearing in my stool.  When my doctor did the initial scope and blood work it indicated that everything was fine as he was looking for a physical cause.  It wasn't until months after I started have blood in my stool that the physical manifestation of my emotional stress presented itself.

    As naturopathic doctor is trained to treat the whole person and to recognize the link between the gut and the brain. As such, a naturopathic doctor, particularly when there is an absence of physical findings, would often indicate that a patient's emotional and physical state needs to be examined to address the cause of the symptoms and to prevent the progression of any disease.

    File:Breathing.jpgWhen stress and suppressed emotions are the cause of physical symptoms they must be dealt with directly. The nervous system should always be worked on in-conjunction with any digestive symptoms. It is interesting to look at the intestines as the organ that "lets waste go".   Although our gut has the physical capacity to store and rid our body of waste it can also be affected when we choose not to let emotions go.  This could result in you becoming "emotionally constipated"!  Having strong emotions is not a problem.  It is when we have them and we hold them in or suppress them. Our body and our emotions always find a way to be heard and felt.  So, if you are not addressing the emotional distress in your live, your body may consequently become effected physically and pathologically. The bright side is - our gut "feelings" can become another important instrument in our IBD healing tool box.  If we start listening to our gut "feelings" and acknowledge and learn to "let go" of unhealthy emotional patterns we can control another aspect contributing to our gastrointestinal symptoms.

    Just as there is an inflammatory response to stress there can be an anti-inflammatory response to peace within one's self.

    Is stress causing your symptoms?

    Ask yourself - " When I'm stressed, where do I feel it my body?"  When you are upset, frustrated or emotional about something what do you do?  Do you release the emotion, or do you distract yourself and focus on something else. Distracting yourself and focusing on other things versus what is bothering you can often result in emotions being held in the body. Emotions that are held in or suppressed can often manifest as:

    Physical symptoms:

    Behavioural symptoms:

    • Procrastination
    • Grinding teeth
    • Difficulty completing work
    • Changes in amount of alcohol or food you consume
    • Taking up or increase smoking
    • Increase desire to withdraw from others
    • Racing thoughts

    Emotional symptoms:

    • Crying
    • Overwhelming sense of pressure or tension
    • Trouble relaxing
    • Nervousness
    • Anxiety
    • Quick Temper
    • Depression
    • Poor Concentration
    • Trouble remembering things
    • Loss of sense of humour

    Understanding the gut-brain connection can provide a valuable approach to any health condition, especially digestive symptoms. To find our more about the gastro-intestinal relationship with the brain please call Naturopathic Foundations Health Clinic at 905-940-2727 to book an appointment with Dr. Kimberley Ramberan, ND.

    Tuesday, October 27, 2015

    Balancing Vata in Fall

    As the seasons change, and the climate shifts to cooler days, you may notice changes in your body, your thoughts and your emotions.  The change of seasons influences people differently depending on the individual constitution that they were born with.  According to Ayurveda there are 3 vital bio-energies (doshas) that make up a person's constitution: vata, pitta, kapha - each made up of a combination of the 5 elements (earth, air, fire, water, space).

    The 3 doshas are not only found within us, but also exist around us in nature. As we prepare for fall, it is helpful to understand the impact that the change of the seasons can have on your health.  Fall is considered vata season because the qualities that characterize vata - dry and cold - are dominant at this time of the year.  The weather changes are apparent with colder days, dry wind, lightness in the air and crackling leaves.

    Characteristics of Vata

    Vata is made up of the air and space elements and has the qualities of dry, cold, light, moving, irregular, subtle, rough and quick.

    Vata loosely translates as "wind" and its function is movement - one can think of vata being their internal wind that keeps things moving. Vata body types are active and mobile, and they often find themselves doing many activities at once. Physically, those with a vata constitution tend to be thin with a light frame and energetic in bursts. They tend to be lively and creative when in balance.

    Functions of Vata

    As vata is responsible for movement, some of the functions in the body include:
    • Circulation
    • Movement in the digestive tract
    • Sensory perception
    • Speech
    • Nerve impulses
    • Breathing
    If any of these functions are not functioning optimally, it is likely that an imbalance with vata is involved.  Due to vata's mobile nature, it is the easiest dosha to experience imbalance.

    Common Health Conditions

    Vata tends to become unbalanced and accumulates in the body and mind when there is too much Vata in our life. Irregular eating or sleeping, concerns with stress, erratic schedules, overstimulation and excess worry can contribute to a vata imbalance.  In addition, seasonal and weather changes can impact the balance of vata, pitta & kapha.  An excess of Vata can manifest in a variety of health concerns which include (but are not limited to):
    Though all individuals are susceptible to the changes brought on by fall, individuals with a constitution that is vata dominant, are more susceptible to aggravation as the environmental factors add to tendencies that already exist internally.

    To help keep vata in balance during fall, incorporating daily lifestyle routines and eating according to your constitution can ease the transition into the cold season.

    5 Suggestions to Balance Vata in Fall

    The following suggestions are important for those with a Vata constitution, but are also valuable for other constitutions during the Vata seasons of fall and winter.

    • Stay warm: Dressing in layers and drinking warm liquids can help keep us warm as the temperatures dip.  Drink herbal teas during the day and incorporate nourishing soups, stews and broths. Avoid cold foods and excess raw food.
    • Eat a Vata-balancing diet: Choose seasonal foods that are organic and local, such as apples, squashes and root vegetables.  Warming spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and black pepper, can also be a great addition to your meals.  Flavours that are naturally sweet, salty & sour help pacify vata.
    • Establish routine: Fall can get busy and we are soon swept off our feet and find our heads buzzing with erratic schedules.  Waking up and sleeping at consistent times and eating meals at the same time each day can bring stability and help keep us grounded during fall.
    • Choose rejuvenating activities: Plan time in your schedule to get sufficient rest and relaxation time. Activities that are relaxing and rejuvenating, such as curling up with a book as you sip ginger tea, taking a hot bath with essential oils in the evening or embracing meditation into your routine, are valuable at this time. Plan to get to sleep earlier as the body needs more sleep in the winter than in the summer.
    • Enjoy oils: Healthy oils are essential in counteracting the dryness associated with fall. Internally, oils such as ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil, can pacify vata when added to your meals. Externally, warm oil massage (abhyanga) with oils can be a wonderful way to relax and nourish the skin. This can be done in the morning or evening on your own, or abhyanga can be done by a qualified practitioner with customized oils to suit your constitution.

    Keeping the 3 doshas balanced within ourselves is vital in staying healthy as seasons change.  Ayurveda offers many tools to balance vata dosha.  Only when we understand our unique constitution can we do the necessary groundwork to stay healthy in fall.  When we can make changes that support our constitution, we can enjoy fall while staying healthy and energized !

    If you would like a comprehensive healthcare plan which includes understanding your Ayurvedic constitution and how that impacts your health, you can book an appointment with Dr. Leena Athparia, ND, at Naturopathic Foundations Health Clinic: 905-940-2727.

    Inflammatory Bowel Disease Part 3: Food Sensitivity Testing

    By: Dr. Kimberley Ramberan, ND

    There are several laboratory tests that provide value in assisting with the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and that provide supporting information to assist in determining the best treatment plan.  Standard laboratory tests are markers that allow your doctor or naturopathic doctor to assess for inflammation, nutritional status and to look for deficiencies of necessary vitamins and minerals.  Most of this testing in Ontario is considered standard of care and should be done on a somewhat regular basis.  However, there are very specific tests that are generally not part of conventional medicine that can be done by naturopathic doctors to provide specific information about foods, the way you break down your food and pathological microbes that could contribute to the onset of disease and the progression of disease.

    This blog is part of a series on IBD and my personal journey on learning how to live with it. Please check out my previous blogs:

    IBD Part 1: My Story
    IBD Part 2: Food Does Matter

    File:Bread wheat.jpg

    Now, remember when I said I had more lessons to learn...

    While studying to become a naturopathic doctor, I experienced symptoms of IBD for about two and a half years and then it went into remission for two years. For me, the stress of school, performance and grades triggered an IBD flare. While stress was a contributing factor to my flare, I knew that I had to also get my diet back on track.  Like most people with IBD, when symptoms go away for a long enough time, the thought is that we can "cheat" a bit with the foods we eat, which is the trap I fell into.

    Being in school and learning about the different types of therapeutic diet regimes, I decided I would try the "Hypoallergenic Diet", also known as the Elimination Diet.  This is a diet that has great clinical value in establishing what and how foods affect you.  I use this diet in practice regularly with patients.  However, for some it may not be specific enough and may be too labour intensive.

    After being on the hypoallergenic diet for awhile, I noticed improvements but not remission.  I was disappointed and could not understand why I was still having symptoms.  I was eating gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and still not feeling 100%. One of my naturopathic professors told me about a blood food sensitivity test that was commonly used by naturopathic doctors in order to determine what foods the immune system was overreacting to and, therefore, causing inflammation in the body.

    Food Sensitivity Testing

    The immune system exists to defend the body against bacteria, viruses and any other potentially harmful organisms.  It protects the body by producing cells called immunoglobulins, also called antibodies.  There are five major immunoglobulins: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM.  Each one of these components produces a different kind of physical reaction in the body. Let's compare.

    Food Allergy vs Food Sensitivity

    When you go to the medical doctor or an Allergist to test for food allergies, they will typically perform a skin prick test or a double-blind, placebo-controlled oral food challenge in order to test for IgE reactions.  IgE reactions are considered true food allergies.  IgE reactions typically occur within minutes of exposure to or ingestion of a food antigen.  Commonly observed IgE reactions include: hives, itchy watery eyes and breathing difficulties.  They are considered anaphylactic-type reactions.

    Food Sensitivity is a term that usually refers to delayed immune reactions to foods.  For example, IgG and IgA reactions to foods are commonly referred to as food sensitivities because they don't always cause immediate reactions.  They can take anywhere from the time the food hits our digestive tract to 3 days later.  The reactions can vary and compound based on the amount and combination of foods we consume.

    In an IgG reaction, the IgG antibodies attach themselves to the food antigen and create an anti-body-antigen complex.  Special cells called macrophages normally remove these complexes.  However, if they are present in large numbers and the reactive food is still being consumed, the macrophages can't remove them quickly enough.  The food antigen-antibody complexes accumulate and are deposited in body tissues.  Once in tissue, these complexes cause inflammation which plays a role in numerous disease and conditions.

    Of the five major antibodies circulating in the bloodstream, IgA is produced in the greatest quantity on a daily basis.  IgA antibodies are the first line of defence against suspected disease-causing agents like viruses and bacteria.  IgA antibodies to specific foods may form when the lining of the intestinal tract becomes inflamed or damaged due to stress, alcohol, medications or other inflammation-causing conditions.  Elevated IgA to specific foods is widely believed to be a sign of damage to the mucous membranes in the gut.  Individuals with Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, or even those with suspected "leaky gut", may benefit from testing IgA food reactions.

    Allow me to illustrate this case in point with Sumo wrestlers:

    Imagine your body is a pool.  Now imagine Sumo wrestlers have decided to have a pool party using your pool.  The 1st Sumo wrestler named "Dairy" cannonball jumps into the pool.  He makes a big splash.  Then the water calms down fairly quickly, but the water level of the pool rises.  Then the 2nd Sumo wrestler, "Eggs", dives in.  The water levels rises a bit more.  Now here comes the 3rd, "Gluten", who gracefully slips in.  Now the water level is as high as the pool can hold.  Now comes along skinny little "Sesame". He is all ready with his water noodle and jumps right in the middle of all the Sumo wrestlers. YOUR POOL EXPLODES!

    So, whose fault is it that the pool exploded?
    The answer: EVERYONE

    Your body is like a pool, in the sense that it is designed to hold a certain load.  We all have different foods that cause our systems to reach capacity.  So, when that happens, symptoms of inflammation occur (i.e. the pool exploding).  This is what happens when our body is having an IgG/IgA reaction.

    I will often hear patients say "Sometimes foods bother me and sometimes they don't.  I can't figure it out!"  That is how I felt before I completed a food sensitivity test and discovered that I had an extremely high sensitivity to sesame seeds!  Five to ten years ago there were not many options for gluten-free or dairy-free foods that did not contain sesame seeds. No wonder I wasn't getting better.  After my food sensitivity test, I adjusted my diet accordingly and very quickly saw and felt the benefits.  I never would have figured that out without doing a food sensitivity test.

    Food sensitivity testing is a valuable and cost-effective way of determining what specific foods you should be avoiding, whether you are dealing with IBD, Crohn's disease or any other symptoms or conditions.  Many naturopathic doctors recommend determining your food sensitivities as the starting point to creating a treatment plan that works for you.

    To find out more about food sensitivity testing, contact Naturopathic Foundations at 905-940-2727 to book an appointment with Dr. Kimberley Ramberan, ND.

    Thursday, October 1, 2015

    Nature Cure: Health Benefits of Time Spent in Nature

    Benefits of Spending Time in Nature (check-out

    • Synchronizes Circadian Rhythm
    • Helps you to stay grounded
    • Increases energy
    • Improves sleep
    • Improved mental/emotional sense of well-being
    • Increased Vitamin D levels
    • Improved vision
    • Increased immune function

    Wednesday, September 30, 2015

    Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Food DOES Matter

    By Dr. Kimberley Ramberan, ND

    "Food Does Matter!"

    Quality of Food

     Raw vs Cooked

    Inflammatory Foods

    • Red Meat
    • Fried Foods
    • Spicy Foods

    Customizing Your Diet

    Friday, August 28, 2015

    Inflammatory Bowel Disease Part 1 :My Story

    by Dr. Kimberley Ramberan, ND

    Monday, July 27, 2015

    Benzene Exposure in Your Car

    The email is as follows:

    Bottom line . . .

    Additional information on Benzene :

    Wednesday, July 1, 2015

    Proclamation of the Naturopathy Act 2007

    by Dr. Iva Lloyd, ND

    As of July 1st, 2015, naturopathic medicine will now be regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) which is the umbrella legislation that governs all regulated health professions in Ontario.

    The History

    Naturopathic medicine has been regulated under the Drugless Practitioner's Act since 1925. The scope of practice for Ontario naturopathic doctors has steadily increased since 1925 and includes gynecological exams, rectal exams, naturopathic manipulation, acupuncture, intravenous therapy, taking blood samples and communicating a naturopathic diagnosis. The Drugless Practitioner's Act was an antiquated Act that did not provide the same degree of regulatory structure as other regulated health professions and restricted the scope of practice. In order for naturopathic doctors to have the level of regulation commensurate with other regulated health professions in Ontario the profession had to move under the RHPA.

    In 2007 the Naturopathy Act was passed and the decision to move naturopathic doctors under the RHPA was confirmed. At the time that the Naturopathy Act was passed, naturopathic doctors were informed that they would  maintain their current scope of practice.

    Current Status

    Proclamation has taken a number of years. But, we are pleased to announce that naturopathic doctors in Ontario have, for the most part, maintained their full scope of practice. Click here for the link to the College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO) to access the list of the controlled acts.

    One of the positive things that will happen under the RHPA is that the College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO) will be able to ensure that anyone who uses the title naturopath or naturopathic doctor has received the training that they require. The terms naturopath, naturopathic doctor, ND and others are now officially protected titles.

    There are some changes in the way that naturopathic doctors will have to practice. Some of these changes, we hope will be short term. The changes include:

    Laboratory Testing
    • Taking of blood samples: Although naturopathic doctors have been authorized the act of taking blood samples according to the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act, they are currently not allowed to take blood samples that have to be sent to a lab for analysis as an inspection program has not yet been developed and approved and the access for standard medical blood testing has not been written into the Controlled Act. The Controlled Act, currently, only allows for point-of-care blood samples for seven laboratory tests that are assessed in-office.  For standard medical blood test naturopathic doctors will, for the time being, have to provide patients with a requisition form and have patients visit an Ontario laboratory facility for the blood draw. Results will still be sent directly to their naturopathic doctor. Although the blood will be drawn at an Ontario laboratory facility, the blood work will not be covered by OHIP.
    • Range of laboratory tests: Prior to proclamation, naturopathic doctors were able to order any laboratory test. During the consultative process a list has been created which defines what laboratory tests naturopathic doctors are able to order. Generally speaking, the list is fairly comprehensive and includes 194 laboratory tests, but there are some common laboratory tests or test panels that did not make it to the approved list. Click here for the list of approved laboratory tests, or talk to your naturopathic doctor directly. The OAND and the naturopathic profession will continue to work with the CONO and the MOHLTC to seek inclusion of the remaining laboratory tests that are required.
    • Handling of external laboratory tests: Thankfully, naturopathic doctors maintained access to a number of external laboratory tests, but similar to blood testing, the handling of external laboratory testing, such as saliva testing, urine testing for environmental toxins, urinary organic acid testing, will be handled differently than it is now. The process is not completely worked out, but it most likely will involve your naturopathic doctor providing patients with a collection test kit and having them return the kit to an Ontario laboratory facility for shipment to the external lab. Your naturopathic doctor will be able to clarify the new process and any change to fees when they provide you with the test kit.
    Prescription Rights and Intravenous Therapy (IVIT)
    Prior to proclamation only those naturopathic doctors that were IVIT certified were able to prescribe a select list of drugs and substances as part of their IVIT treatment. The following is the update on prescription rights and IVIT therapy.
    • List of IVIT substances: Most of the substances that naturopathic doctors have been using for intravenous therapy (IVIT) are included on the prescribed list, yet there are a few that have been removed at this time. The OAND and naturopathic profession will continue to work with CONO and the MOHLTC to add back the substances that have been omitted.
    • IVIT treatments: Under the new regulations that requirements for IVIT practitioners are much stricter and ensure optimal patient care. Any naturopathic doctor that meets the new standards and that passes the prescribing course will be able to continue to offer patients IVIT treatments.
    • Prescription rights for non-IVIT naturopathic doctors: The controlled act of prescribing primarily relates to substances that are used in IVIT treatments, but under the new RHPA regulations there are a few substances that non-IVIT naturopathic doctors will have the ability to prescribe once they successfully complete a prescribing course.  The substances that have been added include bio-identical hormones estrogen and progesterone and thyroid hormone, as well as the ability to prescribe high doses of Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Folic acid.

    Next Steps

    There are a lot of positives about the move to the RHPA, but there will be some challenges during the transitional period.  Generally speaking, patients that are working with naturopathic doctors will primarily experience changes with respect to the handling and access to laboratory testing.

    If you have any questions about these regulatory changes, I encourage you to visit the CONO website at:, the website of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors at or talk directly to your naturopathic doctor.

    This is an exciting time for the naturopathic profession.  These regulatory changes will ensure greater patient safety, increased clarification as to the scope of naturopathic doctors and will increase the opportunity for intra-professional collaboration and support.

    It is a great time to work with a naturopathic doctor to optimize your health.


Mount Meru

With 4,566 meters height,Â  Meru Mountain is the second highest point in Tanzania. It is located in the North-East of Arusha over looking at the highest peak in Africa Mount Kilimanjaro. Meru Mountain is part of Arusha National Park, for that case you will have the opportunity to walk through the game that you might come across, most likely giraffes and buffaloes,Â  to the starting point of your hike.Â  Its extinct crater is easily accessible fromArusha town, which lies at the mountainâ€™s southern baseTrekking is steeper in Meru Mountain, climbing takesÂ  2 days up and 2 days down depending on the weather and physical fitness of the person meru1-150x140It has beautiful surroundings entertained by wild animals as reedbucks, buffaloes, elephants, duikers and colorful birds.Wild flowers such as fireballs lilies are common. At the crater walls, which dominated by the podo and juniper trees. Olive pigeons flying from tree to tree while singing wildly. On the other hand red-headed parrots relaxing and enjoying podo fruits.

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Jardin Des Martels

Easter's eggs hunt - April 13rd 2020

On Easter Monday, gardeners leave the lawns to the Ester Bunnies. Those furry animals will hide more than 13.000 chocolate eggs there.  The chocolate eggs are hidden into various places and will be replaced as time goes by during the day. The children and their parents will have at their disposal a eggs hunt map.
Rates are unchanged

Tickets are limited, we recommend that you buy your tickets in advance. The tour performing on the lawn, we could be forced to cancel the day if bad weather occurred in the days before Easter. In this case, you will be notified by email one day before the event and tickets will be available for the visit untill October, 30th, 2020.


Enthusiasm Decay

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The excitement of a new project often leads to high focus and output. But over time, what was new and exciting becomes routine and ordinary, and your team members’ enthusiasm naturally wanes. How can you add a “booster shot” of enthusiasm to maintain the excitement around a project?


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Exhibition November 15 − December 1
Romance with the sky
The Museum and Exhibition Complex of the Russian Academy of Arts Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery hosts an exhibition of works by St. Petersburg painter Roman Lyapin"Romance with the sky".

Visitors will be able to see about 50 works of the author of different years.

In his work, Roman Lyapin relies on the traditions of the classical European school, Russian realism, and contemporary Italian painting also had an equal impact on the formation of his style. The author prefers the genre of urban landscape. Admiration for the classical culture, the ability to combine the modern life of megacities with their historical past, to convey the variability of the conditions of the city as a single organism or a separate, fragmentary taken species, the ability to see in a private eternal, sincere admiration of the city as a great manifestation of a person’s creative potential, to relive perfection every time and the grandeur of nature, to be carried away and carried away by the process of one’s own creativity - all this makes up the “cosmos” of urban landscapes by Roman Lyapin. The artist’s works are in private collections in Russia, Germany, Italy, Spain, the USA, Taiwan, France, Japan and other countries. Successful and sought after, the artist participates in numerous exhibition projects in Russia and abroad.

Based on the official websiteRussian Academy of Arts.


FreeBSD* Driver for Intel(R) Ethernet ================================================================================ November 14, 2018 ================================================================================ Contents -------- - Overview - Identifying Your Adapter - Building and Installation - Speed and Duplex Configuration - Additional Configurations - Known Limitations - Support - License Overview ======== This file describes the FreeBSD* driver for Intel(R) Ethernet. This driver has been developed for use with all community-supported versions of FreeBSD. For questions related to hardware requirements, refer to the documentation supplied with your Intel Ethernet Adapter. All hardware requirements listed apply to use with FreeBSD. Identifying Your Adapter ======================== This release includes two gigabit FreeBSD base Drivers for Intel(R) Ethernet. These drivers are em and igb. - The igb driver supports all 82575 and 82576-based gigabit network connections. - The em driver supports all other gigabit network connections. - Gigabit devices base on the Intel(R) Ethernet Controller X722 are supported by the ixl driver. For information on how to identify your adapter, and for the latest Intel network drivers, refer to the Intel Support website: Building and Installation ========================= NOTE: This driver package is to be used only as a standalone archive and the user should not attempt to incorporate it into the kernel source tree. In the instructions below, x.x.x is the driver version as indicated in the name of the driver tar file. 1. Move the base driver tar file to the directory of your choice. For example, use /home/username/igb or /usr/local/src/igb. 2. Untar/unzip the archive: tar xzf igb-x.x.x.tar.gz This will create the igb-x.x.x directory. 3. To install man page: cd igb-x.x.x gzip -c igb.4 > /usr/share/man/man4/igb.4.gz 4. To load the driver onto a running system: cd igb-x.x.x/src make kldload ./if_igb.ko 5. To assign an IP address to the interface, enter the following: ifconfig igb 6. Verify that the interface works. Enter the following, where is the IP address for another machine on the same subnet as the interface that is being tested: ping 7. If you want the driver to load automatically when the system is booted: cd igb-x.x.x/src make make install Edit /boot/loader.conf, and add the following line: if_igb_load="YES" Edit /etc/rc.conf, and create the appropriate ifconfig_igb entry: ifconfig_igb="" Example usage: ifconfig_igb0="inet netmask" NOTE: For assistance, see the ifconfig man page. Speed and Duplex Configuration ------------------------------ In addressing speed and duplex configuration issues, you need to distinguish between copper-based adapters and fiber-based adapters. In the default mode, an Intel(R) Ethernet Network Adapter using copper connections will attempt to auto-negotiate with its link partner to determine the best setting. If the adapter cannot establish link with the link partner using auto-negotiation, you may need to manually configure the adapter and link partner to identical settings to establish link and pass packets. This should only be needed when attempting to link with an older switch that does not support auto-negotiation or one that has been forced to a specific speed or duplex mode. Your link partner must match the setting you choose. 1 Gbps speeds and higher cannot be forced. Use the autonegotiation advertising setting to manually set devices for 1 Gbps and higher. Caution: Only experienced network administrators should force speed and duplex or change autonegotiation advertising manually. The settings at the switch must always match the adapter settings. Adapter performance may suffer or your adapter may not operate if you configure the adapter differently from your switch. An Intel(R) Ethernet Network Adapter using fiber-based connections, however, will not attempt to auto-negotiate with its link partner since those adapters operate only in full duplex and only at their native speed. By default, the adapter auto-negotiates the speed and duplex of the connection. If there is a specific need, the ifconfig utility can be used to configure the speed and duplex settings on the adapter. Example usage: ifconfig igbX media 100baseTX mediaopt full-duplex NOTE: Only use mediaopt to set the driver to full-duplex. If mediaopt is not specified and you are not running at gigabit speed, the driver defaults to half-duplex. If the interface is currently forced to 100 full duplex, you must use this command to change to half duplex: ifconfig igbX media 100baseTX -mediaopt full-duplex This driver supports the following media type options: Media Type Description ---------- ----------- autoselect Enables auto-negotiation for speed and duplex. 10baseT/UTP Sets speed to 10 Mbps. Use the ifconfig mediaopt option to select full-duplex mode. 100baseTX Sets speed to 100 Mbps. Use the ifconfig mediaopt option to select full-duplex mode. 1000baseTX Sets speed to 1000 Mbps. In this case, the driver supports only full-duplex mode. 1000baseSX Sets speed to 1000 Mbps. In this case, the driver supports only full-duplex mode. For more information on the ifconfig utility, see the ifconfig man page. Additional Features and Configurations ====================================== Jumbo Frames ------------ Jumbo Frames support is enabled by changing the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) to a value larger than the default value of 1500. Use the ifconfig command to increase the MTU size. For example, enter the following where X is the interface number: ifconfig igbX mtu 9000 To confirm an interface's MTU value, use the ifconfig command. To confirm the MTU used between two specific devices, use: route get NOTE: The maximum MTU setting for Jumbo Frames is 9216. This value coincides with the maximum Jumbo Frames size of 9238 bytes. NOTE: Using Jumbo frames at 10 or 100 Mbps is not supported and may result in poor performance or loss of link. NOTE: Packet loss may have a greater impact on throughput when you use jumbo frames. If you observe a drop in performance after enabling jumbo frames, enabling flow control may mitigate the issue. VLANS ----- To create a new VLAN interface: ifconfig create To associate the VLAN interface with a physical interface and assign a VLAN ID, IP address, and netmask: ifconfig netmask vlan vlandev Example: ifconfig vlan10 netmask vlan 10 vlandev igb0 In this example, all packets will be marked on egress with 802.1Q VLAN tags, specifying a VLAN ID of 10. To remove a VLAN interface: ifconfig destroy Polling ------- NOTES: - Device Polling is only valid for non-SMP kernels. - The driver has to be built into the kernel for Device Polling to be enabled in the driver. To enable polling in the driver, add the following options to the kernel configuration, and then recompile the kernel: options DEVICE_POLLING options HZ=1000 At runtime use: ifconfig igbX polling (to turn polling on) and: ifconfig igbX -polling (to turn it off) Checksum Offload ---------------- Checksum offloading is not supported on 82542 Gigabit adapters. Checksum offloading supports both TCP and UDP packets and is supported for both transmit and receive. Checksum offloading can be enabled or disabled using ifconfig. Both transmit and receive offloading will be either enabled or disabled together. You cannot enable/disable one without the other. To enable checksum offloading: ifconfig igbX rxcsum To disable checksum offloading: ifconfig igbX -rxcsum To confirm the current setting: ifconfig igbX Look for the presence or absence of the following line: options=3 See the ifconfig man page for further information. TSO --- TSO (TCP Segmentation Offload) supports both IPv4 and IPv6. TSO can be disabled and enabled using the ifconfig utility or sysctl. NOTE: TSO requires Tx checksum, if Tx checksum is disabled, TSO will also be disabled. NOTE: By default only PCI-Express adapters are ENABLED to do TSO. Others can be enabled by the user at their own risk. TSO is not supported on 82547 or 82544-based adapters, as well as older adapters. To enable/disable TSO in the stack: sysctl net.inet.tcp.tso=0 (or 1 to enable it) Doing this disables/enables TSO in the stack and affects all installed adapters. To disable BOTH TSO IPv4 and IPv6: ifconfig igb -tso To enable BOTH TSO IPv4 and IPv6: ifconfig igb tso You can also enable/disable IPv4 TSO or IPv6 TSO individually. Simply replace tso|-tso in the above command with tso4 or tso6. For example, to disable TSO IPv4: ifconfig igb -tso4 To disable TSO IPv6: ifconfig igb -tso6 MSI-X ----- MSI or MSI-X can be turned off by an entry in /etc/sysctl.conf hw.em.enable_msi=0 Unload and reload the driver. LRO --- LRO (Large Receive Offload) may provide rx performance improvement. However, it is incompatible with packet-forwarding workloads. You should carefully evaluate the environment and enable LRO when possible. To enable: ifconfig igb lro It can be disabled by using: ifconfig igb -lro EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) ------------------------------- Valid Range: 0-1 0 = Disables EEE 1 = Enables EEE A link between two EEE-compliant devices will result in periodic bursts of data followed by periods where the link is in an idle state. This Low Power Idle (LPI) state is supported at 1 Gbps and 100 Mbps link speeds. NOTES: - EEE support requires auto-negotiation. - Both link partners must support EEE. - EEE is not supported on all Intel(R) Ethernet Network devices or at all link speeds. Example: sysctl dev.igb.#.eee.enable=[0|1] DMAC ---- Valid Range: 0, 1, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000, 10000 This parameter enables or disables DMA Coalescing feature. Values are in microseconds and set the internal DMA Coalescing internal timer. DMA (Direct Memory Access) allows the network device to move packet data directly to the system's memory, reducing CPU utilization. However, the frequency and random intervals at which packets arrive do not allow the system to enter a lower power state. DMA Coalescing allows the adapter to collect packets before it initiates a DMA event. This may increase network latency but also increases the chances that the system will enter a lower power state. Turning on DMA Coalescing may save energy. DMA Coalescing must be enabled across all active ports in order to save platform power. Known Issues/Troubleshooting ============================ Detected Tx Unit Hang in Quad Port Adapters ------------------------------------------- In some cases ports 3 and 4 don't pass traffic and report 'Detected Tx Unit Hang' followed by 'NETDEV WATCHDOG: igbX: transmit timed out' errors. Ports 1 and 2 do not show any errors and will pass traffic. This issue may be resolved by updating to the latest kernel and BIOS. You should use an OS that fully supports Message Signaled Interrupts (MSI) and make sure that MSI is enabled in your system's BIOS. There are known performance issues with this driver when running UDP traffic with Jumbo Frames. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 82541/82547 can't link or is slow to link with some link partners ----------------------------------------------------------------- There is a known compatibility issue where time to link is slow or link is not established between 82541/82547 controllers and some switches. Known switches include: Planex FXG-08TE I-O Data ETG-SH8 The driver can be compiled with the following changes: Edit ./em.x.x.x/src/if_em.h to change the #define EM_MASTER_SLAVE For example, change from: #define EM_MASTER_SLAVE e1000_ms_hw_default to: #define EM_MASTER_SLAVE 2 Use one of the following options: 1 = Master mode 2 = Slave mode 3 = Auto master/slave Setting 2 is recommended. Recompile the module: a. To compile the module cd em-x.x.x make clean make b. To install the compiled module in system directory: make install Support ======= For general information, go to the Intel support website at: If an issue is identified with the released source code on a supported kernel with a supported adapter, email the specific information related to the issue to


chron mieszkanie przed włamaniem
alarm that knows more

The alarm that knows more than any other

One of the most important functions of elephant door™ is that it warns against burglary and allows it to be avoided. A burglar needn’t get inside for the alarm to be activated. Even an attempted break-in sets off a buzzer with a volume of over 110dB! As a result, the burglar is effectively scared off and the neighbors are alerted to the fact that something is wrong.

The smart home alarm also informs you of the incident in the blink of an eye. If a burglary or attempted burglary occurs, the relevant information is sent to your smartphone. Once you know what’s happening, you can react!

Our unique Smart Warning System technology allows many different incidents to be recognized. Thanks to the precisely developed algorithms, the alarm system is not set off in situations that cause a vibration but do not pose a threat. You won’t be notified when the postman knocks on your door or your neighbor slams their door. The innovative technology ensures that elephant door™ won’t bother you unnecessarily and you can live safe and sound.


The Digamma Function is a mathematical function defined as the logarithmic derivative of the Gamma Function. It is represented by the greek letter digamma, which is similar to a psi: Ψ.

Viewed on a graph, the Digamma Function resembles the tangent function for z < 0 and a less steep logarithmic function for z > 0. It is undefined at negative integers and zero.

The nth derivative of Ψ(z) is called the polygamma function, denoted ψn(z). The digamma function itself is sometimes written ψ0, or just ψ.

The digamma function is sometimes used as the logarithmic derivative of the factorial function, written as F(z) = d/dz ln z!. Since the Gamma Function is essentially the factorial function for natural numbers expanded to real and complex numbers, the two Digamma Functions are related: F(z) = ψ0 (z+1).

Harmonic numbers can be described as the sum of the Digamma Function and the Euler-Mascheroni constant.

Notation note: I couldn't find a character for digamma, so I used a psi. The digamma has bars on the top and bottom of the vertical line. If anyone knows how to put a digamma in, let me know, and I'll fix it. Also, the upper and lower case psis look very similar.


“In schools class sizes, can range from anywhere from 18 to 35 students, meaning teachers having to split their time equally between 4 to 7 groups of 5 students. Given the choice all teachers would prefer and be more productive with one group of 5 students where they would be with the one group directing and facilitating 100% of the time”.

Steven Shorthose

This scenario would lead to faster learning and every student getting the attention required to excel. Students and teachers would share certain things like a pantry and common area. An ideal learning environment would be a place where students enjoy more free time to research their passions and interests and follow a curriculum of their choice based on their strengths and needs.

Homework to be completed during school hours and students perusing their interests out of school, in a way that suits them best or simply having family time without the worry of homework in the back of their mind seems far better for happier students.

Happier Students Make Better Learners!


For ICT, Industrial IoT, Weather & Environment

A data analytics platform designed for multi-industry, built entirely on open systems and standards, bringing the most innovative ways to gather, analyse and visualize your data.

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Can work with different data, in real-time, from industrial equipment, to autonomous vehicles and shipping, unmanned aerial, ground and underwater drones.

Smart Design

Built on top of future web protocols, like WebSocket and HTTP/2, it can receive data from different systems, sensors and devices using HTTP, MQTT or DDS data protocols.

Kronometrix analytics platform and applications are built in close cooperation with various experts from different field of industries, focusing on deep domain expertise and data visualization.

Knowledge Base

It has all necessarily things, built and ready to be used, from metrics, data filters to summary statistics and end-user reports, carefully crafted by our team.

Continuous digital

measurements for

IoT Providers

For IoT operators and providers to analyse the performance, availability and inventory changes of entire network of sensors and devices to avoid congestion or downtime and meet service level agreements.

Autonomous Vehicles

Provides important insight from vehicle basic and advanced performance metrics, navigation, speed, direction, fuel, battery lifetime to availability, mean time to repair or service times.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Analyse the performance of a single or a group of unmanned aerial vehicles that operators will be able to use to predict vehicles behaviour for different mission-specific conditions.

From air traffic, agriculture to marine navigation measuring weather is essential to save lives, harvest in time or move goods. Kronometrix does that supporting different type of stations.

Autonomous Ships

Provides observability and reporting of autonomous vessel data, from the engine operation, position and navigation, to internal ICT systems, and the overall weather conditions.

Energy and Utilities

Designed for energy service providers to drive an energy-efficient production, consolidating and analysing data from different sources to set the direction for sustainability and growth.

Military and Defense

For ultra secure installations, remote or data-centre based, to analyse and support military readiness for defence operations. Includes access to system source code for total privacy and control.

We are highly
focused on your goals.

ICT Providers and Developers

Measure and analyse the performance, availability and security of ICT infrastructure, systems and applications, developing a data strategy for your organisation to defend and continuously improve your business.

Weather & Environment Agencies

In our complex and rapidly changing modern society, we need to know the weather conditions, the level of air pollution and decide what is acceptable to us. Kronometrix helps to understand, set the correct expectations and and act accordingly.

Automotive & Marine

Telemetry data for autonomous vehicles and ships to manage and analyse their performance and operational availability. Human-machine collaboration set to drive future technologies and key performance indicators for unmanned systems.

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Network operators to analyse their IoT sensor base installations, from asset management, location and security to electric energy consumption, weather and air quality, in terms of performance, availability and inventory.

Get in touch


The Influence of Tradition in Japanese Cinema

Japanese culture has arisen as a mixture of the East and the West. Japanese have been able to keep their traditional aesthetic features while they also embraced western style,which was filtered through Japanese tradition. The presence of the Benshi ( a commentator who narrated the action of the film) could be a suitable example of the situation.
The beliefs of Japanese people are East originated. Shintoism and Buddhism give lots of importance to the spirits and supernatural forces which are also cultivated in the Japanese mythology. Some of the Japanese directors have been able to combine a western visual art form (cinema) with their traditional beliefs different from the western examples of the same subject matter.
In contemporary cinema this particular subject matter (ghosts/demons) mostly taken into the consideration as an element of the horror, but in Japanese cinema they are the elements ofthe drama ( particularly the spirit itself ) as well as a horrifying object. That is to say according to their beliefs, spirits are the ones who are suffering either because lack of the prayers that let them pass to'the Land of the Dead,or because of the evil feelings/behaviors while they were in'the Land of the Living.' Dramatic situations of the suffering souls are represented in a poetic way, as the general look of the Japanese cinema relies on empty spaces, plainness, and landscape appearances. These features also exists one of their basic ordinary life rituels; tea- ceremony. The tea- ceremony roomis decorated almost empty with a plain style and prefarably located with a view of a garden. This proves that ordinary life rituels influces the aestetic features of the Japanese cinema. These influences becomes the resources of the national cinema of Japan.
The narration in the Japanese cinema mostly relies on the style which ables to transfer the ideas ( of the director) through the atmosphere of the fil…

I'm Sandulf

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Congo Election News Roundup

Since I was here in the Congo during the election, I thought I’d go ahead and put together a roundup of sorts for those following.

Here’s some context. Joseph Kabila’s second term as president was supposed to end in December of 2016. If elections had been held and a new president taken power, it would have been the first relatively peaceful transition of power in the country’s history. Instead, though, and following a trend of “constitutional coups” across Africa, Kabila tried to pull a Museveni-Kagame-Nguesso and change the law in order to run again. He faced widespread protests and ultimately failed to do this, so instead he simply delayed the elections, securing the ability to stay in power until a successor was chosen despite the end of his mandate. Every delay is another act of glissement, or slippage, in Congolese parlance.

Alongside the delays, several leading opposition figures were also deemed ineligible to run. After attempts by the opposition to consolidate behind one candidate (an effort which succeeded for 24 hours), there emerged two: Martin Fayulu and Felix Tshisekedi were the major opponents to the regime’s chosen successor, Emmanuel Shadary. In the final month leading up to the elections, the state violently suppressed the opposition at every turn, with reports of the recruiting youth to instigate violence at opposition rallies, the use of live bullets and tear gas to disperse rallies, the refusal by government officials to allow rallies to occur.

My first night in Congo, I watched TV while having dinner in an Aru hotel room. The leading story was that a large fire had damaged a majority of the voting machines in Kinshasa, the country’s capital. The voting machines were already a source of suspicion for many, but the burning of them was also suspicious, as many believed it was an attempt by the state to justify yet another delay. This only made matters worse for elections that have faced logistical problems, partially because CENI, the electoral commission, rejected any foreign assitance (see Laura Seay’s twitter thread about the difficulties of Congolese elections, with or without MONUC/MONUSCO assistance). In the end, CENI announced a one-week delay of the elections.

And then, in the intervening week, CENI announced that the vote would be further delayed until March in three locations—Beni and Butembo in North Kivu and Yumbi in Mai Ndombe—due to concerns around the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the former and insecurity in the latter. This decision effectively disenfranchised over a million people, all in opposition strongholds, and for reasons that didn’t pan out. As many pointed out, Ebola has been a persistent problem in North Kivu for months, but people continue to go to school, church, and markets, they could surely vote. In the following days, protests in North Kivu resulted in several deaths. As one friend here said, “C’est un provocation.”

Heading into the election, the Congo Research Group and BERCI released a major opinion poll about the vote. You can access the full report here [pdf], but the key takeaway is this:

With two years of delays, denying several opposition candidates the chance to run, cracking down on popular mobilizations, and disenfranchising several opposition towns, the regime still faced massive rejections by the populace. It was obvious to both observers and Congolese that a free and fair vote would go to the opposition—the question was whether or not the elections would be rigged.

During election day, it quickly became apparent that the elections did indeed turn out to be a logistical nightmare—marred by technical failures with machines, people not showing up on voters rolls, and polling stations opening many hours late—as well as problem of the polls’ security—with reports of armed groups intimidating voters at multiple stations. In Beni, activists held a mock vote in an act of resistance to their disenfranchisement, demonstrating that a vote could be held without incident. When I took a tour around Dungu late that morning, I passed by three voting stations where people were queued and the situation was calm (I didn’t talk to anyone), though I did later hear of potential issues elsewhere in the province. In the days after the election, though, reports about election day began to get more complicated.

There were reports of “systemic irregularities, particularly missing or broken machines, missing or incomplete voter lists, late openings, long waits, restricted access for independent observers, interference by armed actors, and fraud.” The day after the election, the government shut down internet in most of the country, as well as SMS, to prevent “chaos.” On January 4, the Catholic Church, which had 40,000 observers at polling places across the country, issued a statement that, according to their observations, one candidate clearly won the election, and they called on the government to publish accurate results. The next day, Human Rights Watch published a report outlining instances of both voter intimidation by armed groups and spontaneous violence in confrontations between voters and police or CENI staff. Christoph Vogel wrote a useful update focused on the Kivus – of note is that armed group intimidation was diverse, with different groups rigging the vote for the ruling party and opposition.

Jason Stearns tweeted an important note as everyone awaited the vote tally. “What happens in the next 1-2 weeks will have a huge impact on developments over the coming decade,” he wrote. “This could unfold in many ways. I find it v hard to believe that Kabila/Shadary will accept defeat and step down. I also don’t think they will be able to rig elections and move on, as we now know that the Catholic Church, opposition and civil society, will put up a fight.” Stearns noted that, in the event of a return to mass violence, especially in major cities and in the East, these weeks were a key moment on which things would pivot (see Laura Seay’s thoughts on what could be done). We are still within a critical juncture as this continues to play out).

Everybody said that they had won. Especially concerning was when someone from Shadary’s campaign said “For us, victory is certain.” A few days later pictures circulated of Shadary’s campaign preparing for a victory celebration. Many were concerned about a rigged win for the regime. But soon these worries were replaced by rumors that a deal had been made. Tshisekedi’s camp had met with ruling party officials to ensure a peaceful transition. People began speculating that he had negotiated some sort of power-sharing transition deal in exchange for beating out Fayulu. Many suspected that whatever the election “results” would be, they would be negotiated by elites rather than represent the actual will of the people.

And so the provisional results were set to be presented on January 9th at 11:00pm in Kinshasa (midnight here), and state television began broadcasting shortly before. As we “slipped” from the 9th and into the 10th, people on Twitter joked about yet another instance of glissement. After a long pre-game show of watching people file in and out of the room, CENI finally began around 2:00am my time. CENI officials then proceeded to name each of the more than 700 provincial deputies elected in the country, an announcement that wasn’t supposed to happen for weeks, pushing the presidential results until 4:00am here in Dungu, where myself and three others sat watching TV in the paillote in the compound.

Finally, in the early hours of the 10th, the results were announced.

Tshisekedi had won with 38% (7.05 million votes), followed closely by Fayulu’s 34% (6.36 million), and with Shadary’s 23% (4.36 million) a distant third. Many were releieved that the election hadn’t been rigged for Shadary, but for most it seemed an even stranger outcome: that the government had rigged the election for the opposition in an effort to deny a different opposition candidate the presidency. Reuters later confirmed that the Catholic Church had privately briefed some diplomats that Fayulu had won handily.

In the days since, there were instances of violence in a number of cities on the 10th and 11th. While over a dozen have been killed since the proclamation, and several died on election day, in the face of the potential of riots or a return to civil war, it feels like an instance of declaring it “all quiet on the front” here despite the violence. Fayulu has explicitly called the results fradulent, and may be moving forwards with a formal complaint. Meanwhile, Tshisekedi leaned into his victory, lauding Kabila as partner of democracy in Congo (really).

Some have speculated that Tshisekedi’s deal may have been arranged as far back as when he initialy bailed on the opposition coalition. Pierre Englebert reevaluated the CRG/BERCI opinion poll to show that the results were implausible, stating that “data suggests that the probability Tshisekedi could have scored 38% in a free election is less than 0.0000. There is a 95% chance his real numbers would be somewhere between 21.3% and 25%.” He ends his analysis with some good hypotheses as to when, why, and how Tshisekedi’s bid may have played out.

Regardless, the situation—expertly played by Kabila—hands power over to a constrained opposition candidate (especially with the legislative elections apparently going to the ruling party) while also pitting the opposition against itself as Fayulu tries to organize supporters against Tshisekedi’s ascendance to the presidency. As Stearns put it in a recent op-ed for the New York Times: “If Mr. Tshisekedi is reduced to a figurehead president, the current system of governance will most likely continue. Millions will be displaced, thousands will be killed, and the international community will be left to deal with the wreckage.”

Many have taken this moment, rightly, to call attention to how contingent political processes, and the control that ruling leaders have, can be in the face of popular resistance. Two and a half years ago, Kabila was plotting how to stay in power for a third term. Instead, he not only didn’t run, but his hand-picked candidate lost, even in elections marred by irregularities and implausible results. While this cannot and should not be called democracy, this outcome a symbol of Kabila’s frustrated attempts to remain president, and that was achieved on the backs of (and with many sacrifices among) youth, civil society, the Catholic Church, human rights activists, and civil rights groups.

What comes next, however, is yet to be determined. Fayulu may try to contest the results, but it’s not clear if he has any leverage. The Church has decried the results as rigged, but won’t commit to releasing its numbers. Tshisekedi may become president in a relatively peaceful transition, but it is an open question if he will be able to do anything or if Kabila and his elite circle will be able to continue to run the country from behind closed doors. The official results are due in coming days, and the new president is supposed to take power by the end of the week. What this mean for Congo is unclear – we’re still in the midst of a critical juncture for the future of the country.

What are elections for, anyways?

There are several countries in Africa that are holding elections amidst some pretty tense circumstances. In Burkina Faso, after a popular revolt ousted long-time President Blaise Campaoré and then an attempted military coup put a brief hiccup in elections, voters went to the polls just a couple of weeks ago. Burundi has descended into violence amidst efforts by President Pierre Nkurunziza to overstay his welcome and run for a third term, with similar “constitutional coups” being attempted in Rwanda, the D.R. Congo, and other states, and similar efforts are practically routine in Uganda (where Yoweri Museveni will be moving into the 30+ Years of Rule Club with elections in April) and still others.

In many parts of the world, elections become perennial points from which both popular organizing and protest as well as intense violence and repression emerge. The Burkinabè were able to use Campaoré’s attempts to change the constitution to instead be the cause of his downfall. Burundians tried this but have since been caught in a prolonged struggle over the future of their country. Elections can be points of radical change, but they can also  be events that put the official seal on the status quo or sites of intense state violence.

Amidst this kaleidoscope of possibilities, the electoral landscape also includes the Central African Republic, where elections are scheduled to move the country from a transitional government to a newer, more “legitimate” one. Though the actual reasons for holding elections in the middle of what can only be described as a heap of turmoil raises the question: why?

In a recent post at the Monkey Cage, Haley Swedlund tackles the question of “Why donors demand immediate elections after unrest in developing countries.” She highlights a number of theories pointing out that quickly pushing through elections actually stymies the democratization process, but she argues that donors need some semblance of stability in order to carry out basic aid projects. She points out that “decision-making is often driven by the functional needs of particular agencies, rather than a sound assessment of the political situation in the recipient country. With only limited funding available, this pattern of behavior means that more fundamental democratic reforms are often sidelined in favor of the ballot box.” In other words, donors want elections not to encourage democratization or because elections could show a peaceful transition, but to serve their self-interests.

A few weeks ago I attended a panel at the United States Institute of Peace about the ongoing instability in Central African Republic. The event centered around a new book edited by Louisa Lombard and Tatiana Carayannis about CAR (which I’m reading now!), and the role of elections was a hot topic during the conversation (a full video of the panel is available here).

CAR has seen shocking episodes of violence over the last few years as rebellion led to a cycle of reprisal attacks that immersed both the countryside and Bangui in violence. During the panel, Roland Marchal argued that we need to reflect more on the types of solutions we offer to the current conflict. He listed several core issues facing the Central African people, including abuse by the state, arbitrary enforcement of the law based on religion, and said that “these are the questions that have to be discussed and it is not organizing elections that is going to provide answers.”

Faouzi Kilembe pointed out three key problems: the question of identity in CAR (and who can vote), the question of logistics and how to prepare to hold elections, and the question of security and how to hold elections in the current situation of insecurity. Two very important points he raised are that no matter the outcome, the results will be contested (likely violently) by one party or another, and he asks what miracles the newly elected government will be able to achieve that the transitional government cannot. Similar questions arise in William Clowes’ piece at the African Arguments blog about whether elections will make things worse rather than better.

When asked to respond to Kilembe’s statements at the panel, Laurence Wohlers argued for holding elections because logistics aren’t going to improve, the question of legitimacy won’t be solved by waiting, and the transition needs to end in order to place power in a government entity beyond international community, which leads him to say that “we have to have an election that is admittedly not going to be a good one.” He focused most of his response on what to do after, including a long list of post-conflict reforms. Marchal disagreed, stating that questions of accountability, religious discrimination, demobilization, go unanswered even though the international community has money for such interventions, because “the international community doesn’t do it, not because it’s bad, not because it’s ignorant, but because it’s busy on the election.” Later, Marchal pointed out that the urgency for elections by the international community don’t necessarily resonate for people who haven’t participated in a free and fair election in decades. Carayannis notes at the end that the timing of elections is tied to France’s desire for an exit strategy, stating that “we need elections tied to what’s actually happening in CAR, not what’s happening in Paris.”

The international community wants elections, partially because elections are what signal “post-conflict” status and, thus, act as a sunset provision on the French intervention there, regardless of actual improvement of the situation on the ground. As Lombard mentions in a different panel on elections in CAR, the international community “tend[s] to think in terms of ‘well, these are the Central Africans’ elections, they’re elections for the Central African Republic… and we’re just helping” but at the same time “there would be no elections if it weren’t for all of these different kinds of international players who were involved in all of this. These are our elections too.” Circling back to Haley Swedlund’s point – elections are demanded due to international community’s interests no matter what is going on in the actual country of concern.

The first round of elections occurred on December 30th amid relatively little violence, and the results will be announced soon. The voting was lauded as an “undeniable success,” but that won’t actually be known until the results are announced, the run-off is held, and whether the new government can successfully move the country forwards through the present insecurity.

The Durability of Museveni’s Uganda

Voting as a Right

There has been a lot of talk around what some would call liberals’ obligation to vote for Barack Obama this November, followed by a lot of critiques from a marginalized Left. Between his pension for drone strikes and his slow pace on gay rights and immigrant rights, on top of his utter failure to take any sort of stand for far-left ideals, I can see why a lot of people on the Left don’t want to cast that vote. While a vote for Obama can act as a vote against the Republican Party, just how much do we reward Democrats for being slightly less terrible than Republicans? I’m intrigued by this debate, but it’s not what this post is about.

Long ago the idea of voting as a privilege was cast off, with the franchise extended to a number of minority groups. But the remnants of that idea, the idea that only the elite are blessed with the vote, still remain. Many Americans have the opportunity to vote now, but that opportunity is limited in a host of ways, including voter ID laws and disinformation campaigns aimed at confusing voters. In a country where the vote takes place on a work day, with inflexible hours, and rigid rules regarding absentee voting and polling places, it is far easier for the privileged to vote.

It is this fact that leads many to feel obligated to vote, despite the weary mantra that our votes don’t count (and between the electoral college and big-donor-funded candidates, a lot of these votes don’t). That we have the opportunity to vote means that we need to use that opportunity. To be American is to vote.

But democracy doesn’t end with casting a ballot. That’s just where it begins. If your fed up with the two parties, then there’s a lot that you can do beyond just voting for the lesser evil. And in a first-passed-the-post system, I’m certainly not talking about voting for a third party. But if you can’t stomach voting for Obama, particularly if you live in a state not listed as a gradient on polling maps, I don’t care what you do. I hope you’ll still vote in your local and state elections, because that is where tons of liberal reform could actually happen (seriously, foster those ideas in your community). And I hope you go beyond the simple act of voting and decide to take on the act of organizing for change outside the electoral system. The fact of the matter is, voting is a right – and that’s all it is. To be American is to have the right to choose who you vote for – and to choose whether or not you want to vote at all.

We have the right to vote for whomever we want, and that right should matter. Voting should play a role in choosing effective leaders, and it should serve as a voice for what we want to see in our government. To that end, choosing not to vote isn’t surrendering that voice – it’s shouting something entirely different. It’s a protest of a rigged system, and it’s a protest of a party that isn’t listening.

Voting Rights for Everyone!

This afternoon I, presumably like a lot of people, raised an eyebrow when I read that officials were estimating a 119% voter turnout in today’s Wisconsin recall election. My mind first jumped to Tammany Hall and ballot stuffing, and I remembered a clip in Gangs of New York in which the Irish were getting haircuts by Mad-Eye Moody between votes. It turns out that such a high turnout number is actually possible in Wisconsin because the state allows same-day voter registration, something I didn’t even know existed. Election Day Registration, it turns out, is an option (in some form or another) in eight states and Washington, DC. This is hugely awesome, and I wish more states did this.

Arizona, like a lot of states, has some restrictions on voter registration. In the Copper State, on top of registering 30 days before elections, on election day you will also need one ID with your name, address, and photo or two forms of ID with your name and address. And a hope that you don’t accidentally go to the wrong polling station or you don’t have an early ballot sitting at home somewhere. Add on the misinformation floating around out there, and even registered voters can face obstacles to voting. Allowing same-day registration helps make it easier for people moving to still vote in their new districts, especially since students often move right around primary season in many states. I think the more people that can vote, regardless of who they’re voting for, the better.

That’s why I’m a huge supporter of #16toVote, or really any age to vote. I figure we’re all affected by government, we should have the ability to choose them. Lowering the age to 16 gives voting rights to people who often work, go to school, drive, and do a number of other things that are directly affected by the government. Plus, voting’s awesome. If you want to vote, you should be able to, regardless of your age. Or your citizenship.

In the United Kingdom, you don’t have to be a citizen to vote. Citizens of Commonwealth countries and Ireland can vote in all elections, and citizens of European Union countries can vote in local and regional elections. Immigrants live under the same laws as all of us – even undocumented immigrants drive on our roads and pay the same sales tax. Shouldn’t they have the right to vote? After all, taxation without representation is what our democracy was founded on. Plus, some states used to allow alien suffrage less than a century ago.

I guess the best decision would be to abolish voter registrations. North Dakota hasn’t had voter registration since 1951. That’s better than denying residents the vote because of some technicality involving school or poll stations or identification. I don’t know what methods they have of restricting by age or citizenship, but I’m sure they exist. If suffrage has spread from white, male, landowners over 20 to include women, people of color, and 18-year-olds, I figure it’s not outlandish to ask for a youth vote or for immigrant rights. Even if it might take a while.

What’s Happening in Uganda Tomorrow?

On Friday, Uganda will be holding presidential elections.  Even eight months ago when I was in Uganda it was big news.  So, what’s going on in Uganda?

Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda for over twenty years and leader of the National Resistance Movement, will be running for re-election yet again.  He is running against a slate of opposition figures, chief among them Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change.  But what’s important about this election?

Despite having won every election since seizing power, Museveni’s victory margin has been diminishing.  In the last election he only won with 59% to Besigye’s 37%.  With notable corruption and a diminishing economy in addition to failure to secure the north and west against rebellions, Museveni faces the possibility of winning only a plurality in tomorrow’s election.  According to Ugandan law, if there is no clear majority than the front-runners compete in a run-off election.  If this is the case, it is likely that the less viable opposition figures such as Norbert Mao and others would throw their support behind Besigye, ushering him into the presidency.

That said, Museveni is consolidating control.  In both 2001 and 2006 the Supreme Court of Uganda ruled that the elections were flawed with corruption and vote-rigging, but both upheld the election returns for various reasons.  This election season there have already been rumors that the NRM has been buying votes in certain regions.  There are even cases of Museveni personally handing out envelopes of money to prospective voters and of Parliament receiving funds that slant towards NRM victory.  This in addition to a possible repeat of Museveni’s announcements a couple of years ago that any districts that did not vote for him would risk not receiving national funds for programs.

It looks like Museveni is setting up the elections in his favor.  Regardless, there may be some room for the opposition to sneak a victory.  But, even if that happens, he may not relinquish power.  Besigye has been exiled before and accused of treason, a strong run against the President could result in similar consequences.  With the vote taking place tomorrow, I’ll be keeping my eyes on how things unfold.

Election Reactions

Progressives took a hit.

Blue Dogs took a bigger hit.

Corporate Candidates took a hit too.

The House Switched

Problems at the Polls

“Firsts” and “Lasts”

Arizona Votes

Arizona is the product of the progressive era.  As a result of the bipartisan wave of people asking for a more democratic democracy, Arizona’s constitution has all sorts of “by the people” parts to it.  The initiative, referendum, and recall are all pretty basic parts of Arizona’s law.  The initiative is the ability of people to petition for amendments and the referendum is the ability for legislators to bring up proposals that voters must approve.  As for recall, Arizona was actually denied statehood until the territory took the ability to vote to recall judges out of the constitution – but in the state’s first election it was reinstated.

Every election we have a plethora of propositions brought up by initiative or by referendum.  I know last election I talked a bit about the fun ones (like the idea of counting every missing vote as a no-vote for finance-related propositions) and the bad ones (defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman).  This year we’ve got the expected “hands off our healthcare” proposition.  But we also have an effort to make the right to hunt part of our constitution – right up there with speech and bearing arms; there’s also putting an end to affirmative action and stopping early childhood development and health programs.  I’m not usually a fan of most propositions, and this election cycle isn’t any different, it seems.

I’m not sure if other states are like Arizona.  I know most don’t have the ability to vote appointed judges out of office.  I’m assuming most people in other states don’t vote every four years for the office of State Mine Inspector (I have heard there are up to 120,000 abandoned mines in Arizona).  Do you all have the option to vote for school boards?  How about justices of the peace? What’s weird about your state’s political process?


Max Dirt Bike

In Max Dirtbike, your objective is to complete each of the 19 obstacle courses in the fastest time possible. You will need to maintain a delicate balance for your rider throughout the game to avoid crashing. If you do crash, you get to start the level over again and you can start over as many times as you need to.


245 - Okemos Public Schools v1 - Page 14

14 3. Illegal drugs, including but not limited to those substances defined as "controlled substances" pursuant to federal and/or state statue; 4. Steroids, human growth hormones or other performance-enhancing drugs; 5. Substances represented as illegal or performance-enhancing drugs, i.e., "look-alike" drugs; mind altering substances. 6. Misused prescription drugs. “Distribution”  includes  the  “hosting”  of  a  party  at  which  the  host  is  aware  that  any   of the substances listed above are provided at the site by any person. It shall not be a violation for an athlete to use or possess a prescription or patent drug pursuant to a doctor’s legal prescription which the student has permission to use in school pursuant to Board Policy. An athlete shall notify his/her coach if he/she  is  taking  a  prescription  medicine,  which  could  alter  or  affect  the  athlete’s   behavior or ability to participate in physical activity. B. Use, possession, concealment, distribution, manufacture or sale of devices designed for and/or associated with the use of controlled substances, e.g., to include but not be limited to a marijuana pipe, "roach" clip, rolling papers, or devices used to smoke, inhale, inject, or otherwise consume controlled substances. C. Violation of federal, state or local law/ordinance, including felony or misdemeanor acts other than minor traffic offenses. Conviction is not necessary to establish a violation of the Athletic Code, but will be determined through an independent school investigation and may result in a penalty. D. Cumulative or gross misconduct, or conduct unbecoming an athlete and a representative  of  OHS  may  result  in  a  penalty,  including  “hazing”. E. Violation of the Student Code of Conduct which results in a school suspension. F. Violation of any team conduct, grooming or training rule established by the coach and approved by the Athletic Director. If the Athletic Code or other school policies or procedures do not cover situations that arise, the administration reserves the right to establish such rules, conditions, and penalties to respond effectively to unanticipated or unique circumstances or to institute a more severe penalty. 3. Penalties A. Conduct Offenses: Violation of Conduct Standards C-F above and the venue is off the athletic field or court.